Bengaluru: A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Wednesday met Karnataka Governor and urged him to withdraw the Congress government’s decision to issue permanent residence certificates in the state, alleging that the move could be misused to benefit illegal immigrants.
The delegation comprised Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, MLCs C.T. Ravi and N. Ravikumar, among other party leaders.
Submitting a memorandum to the Governor, the BJP alleged that the state government’s decision could enable illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to obtain permanent residence certificates, paving the way for access to welfare benefits such as ration cards, health cards and housing schemes. The party further claimed that the move could eventually influence the electoral roll. The Karnataka government has not publicly responded to these allegations.
The BJP delegation also raised concerns over national security, claiming that the presence of illegal immigrants could pose future security risks. Referring to banned and extremist organisations, the leaders argued that strict verification mechanisms were necessary before issuing any such certificates.
The party further contended that matters relating to the legal status of foreign nationals fall within the jurisdiction of the Union government and maintained that the state government does not have the authority to confer any status that could be construed as recognising foreign nationals as permanent residents.
